Abby stood instantly when the baby's cries became more than just a whimper. When she got to the bassinet she was confused to find little Samuel Thomas rolled onto his side having lost both his blanket and soother. Picking the tiny infant up she headed towards the kitchen when she saw a flap of blue hanging out of the sofa. Lifting the cushion revealed the missing items and she let the cushion fall as she reentered the dining area. Leaning down beside Tim she whispered something to him as she gently bounced the still fussing baby.
Huffing slighty Tim pushed his chair back and went to investigate the misappropriated items and then called "Lucas McKenzie Garret front and center" and then waited patiently as he heard small footsteps navigating the hall and stairs slowly. Avoiding looking at the dining room full of adults Luc skirted the entrance and stood in front of his father who had taken a seat on the seat cushion not concealing the baby's things.
"You want to tell me anything?" Tim asked in a serious but quiet tone.
"No" the child answered his eyes darting between his dad and the hallway from which he'd just immerged.
Tim having worked with Gibbs for years simply raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in the direction of the couch, waiting for an answer.
"What?" Lucas asked indignantly trying not to look at the off kilter sofa arrangement.
Again without words Tim looked to his son and then the sofa, Luc's eyes following the path of his dad's gaze. "Let's try again… Do you want to tell me anything?" Tim was trying very hard not to sound as annoyed as he was feeling.
"No I do not want to tell you anything" Lucas said deliberately answering only the specific question that was asked of him. He wasn't sure if his dad was going to be mad at him for taking the baby's things but he was feeling hurt and left out and so his attitude and negative feelings were driving his answers when in general he was a very easy going and compliant child.
"Why did you hide Sam's things in the couch, why did you touch the baby without a grown up around like we discussed and why are you now giving me this attitude?" Tim asked in quick succession his frustration bubbling to the surface as Luc stood in front of him with a snotty look on his face.
"I took them for a joke … O. K…. geez… try to have a little fun around here and you get the first degree and besides Uncle Tony told me to do it" Luc answered his voice dripping with both sarcasm and contempt.
The boy had barely had the words out of his mouth before Tim quickly turned him to the side and landed a swat on his now available backside. At the kitchen table the sound of a hand meeting the back of head could be heard in unison. The young boy's "ow" was drown out by the "Thank you Boss" that instinctively fell out of Tony's mouth. Gibbs' expression told Tony he needed to go and fix the mess he had created and as the surrogate uncle pushed his chair away from the table a flash of the boy running out the back kitchen door was seen by everyone. Tim was following his fleeing son with the baby's belongings in his hand. Abby took the blanket and signals to put the pacifier in the sink to be rinsed off. Tony stopped Tim at the counter and with a look of contrition said "Sorry probie that was my fault… I'll go fix it". Tim didn't immediately respond as he wasn't sure his old partner was capable of solving this situation without causing more issues but in the end relented and returned to the group at the table knowing that he could more easily discuss everything with his eldest when there was less of an audience.